Ground supported amusement rollers operable by treading thereon



C. B. SMITH June 23, 1964 GROUND SUPPORTED AMUSEMENT ROLLER OPERABLE BYTREADING THEREON Filed Oct. 16, 1959 3. V//////////lu United StatesPatent 3,138,375 GROUND SUPPORTED AMUSEMENT ROLLERS OPERABLE BY TREADING THEREON Connie B. Smith, Miami, Fla. (443 Valencia Ave., Apt. 4, CoralGables, Fla.) Filed Oct. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 847,020 2 Claims. (Cl.272-1) This invention relates to a roller and more particularly, to arolling toy device of the type adapted to be rolled by treading thereon.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a roller of thetype adapted to be used primarily by children in recreational and playactivities as by treading the roller that results in forward or backwardmovements.

It is further the purpose of the present invention to provide a rollingdevice that serves effectively in physical therapy treatmentsparticularly for convalescents who are undergoing physiotherapy for anatrophic muscular condition by promoting muscular coordination andactivation of the lower limbs.

It is still further the purpose of the present invention to provide atoy device which is of simple construction, is easy and economical tomanufacture, is strong and rugged, is easy to learn, and is very amusingand entertaining, and very beneficial to children and others formuscular development.

The roller constructed in accordance with the present inventioncomprises a hollow cylinder of sheet material covered with flexiblematerial and having a rippled or corrugated outer surface for providinga secure footing during operation.

These and other features of the present invention are described indetail below in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein likenumerals designate like parts, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a roller embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the roller of FIGURE 1 supported on a supportof solid material; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially on line 33 in FIGURE 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the roller illustrated in thedrawing as an embodiment of the present invention comprises a hollowcylindrically shaped body or shell 1 having both ends open. Cylinder 1is preferably constructed of sheet metal of a firm, light-weight,malleable kind of metal, such as aluminum, and the like, which may bereinforced, if necessary, in the interior for supporting human weight upto two hundred pounds without losing its original shape and structurequality over a reasonable period of time. The ends of the cylinder 1 areopen so as to provide for gripping the same and rendering it light inweight.

On the outer cylindrical surface, the cylinder 1 is covered with a sheet2 of flexible material, such as rubber and the like, fixed or bondedthereto by any conventional means of adherence, such as bonding cement.The flexible cover is approximately one inch in thickness and is formedwith rippled corrugations or grooves 3 extending longitudinally on theouter surface thereof to insure a secure footing on the ridges betweenthe grooves when in use. The length of the roller 1 may be three feetand the diameter may be of one or one and a half feet for average use.

The operation of the roller of the present invention is very simple. Theroller is first placed in a horizontal position on the ground orsuitable support of solid material 4 so as to be able to roll. Treadingupon the roller and propelling by the feet of the operator results in aforward or backward rolling motion of the roller relative to a point onthe support of solid material. During rolling motion of the roller, itis rather difilcult for an experienced operator to stand thereon. It istherefore necessary for the operator to properly balance himself thereonand to continue rolling the roller so as to prevent from falling offfrom the roller. However, at no time at all, one, and especiallychildren, can master the operation of the roller of the presentinvention which provides pleasure in recreational and play activities.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only, and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise, except as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A roller toy device adapted to be rolled over ground surfaces inforward and backward rolling movements by treading thereon forrecreation comprising; a hollow cylindrical sheet metal body of uniformdiameter and substantially uniform thickness, said metal being of agauge sufficient to withstand the weight of 200 pounds without permanentdeformation; a cylindrical cover of flexible resilient materialcircumscribing and completely covering the external surface of saidbody, the interior surface of said cover being substantially smooth andin tight hugging engagement with said body, the exterior of said coverbeing provided with a plurality of longitudinal transversely disposedyieldable peaks circumferentially arranged adjacent one to the other,and extending the length of said cover, the said peaks defining theouter periphery of the roller; and adhesive means disposed between saidbody and said cover to prohibit separation thereof; said roller beingsupported by and in rolling contact with a support of solid material ofsufficient linear extent to permit significant displacement of theroller by a user thereof; whereby said roller is adapted to be treadedupon for forward and backward rolling motions providing a firm footingduring operation thereof, with said yieldable peaks being adapted toprovide traction on grass covered ground surfaces.

2. A roller as set forth in claim 1 having a body with a diameter ofsubstantially one and one-half feet and a length of substantially threefeet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,608,598 Heilborn Nov. 30, 1926 1,738,490 Worley Dec. 3, 1929 2,011,760Gallinant Aug. 20, 1935 2,037,495 Brogan Apr. 14, 1936 2,175,197 KentOct. 10, 1939 2,448,797 Guslin Sept. 7, 1948 2,842,365 Kelley July 8,1958 2,931,648 Davies Apr. 5, 1960

1. A ROLLER TOY DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE ROLLED OVER GROUND SURFACES INFORWARD AND BACKWARD ROLLING MOVEMENTS BY TREADING THEREON FORRECREATION COMPRISING; A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL SHEET METAL BODY OF UNIFORMDIAMETER AND SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS, SAID METAL BEING OF AGAUGE SUFFICIENT TO WITHSTAND THE WEIGHT OF 200 POUNDS WITHOUT PERMANENTDEFORMATION; A CYLINDRICAL COVER OF FLEXIBLE RESILIENT MATERIALCIRCUMSCRIBING AND COMPLETELY COVERING THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAIDBODY, THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID COVER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH ANDIN TIGHT HUGGING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BODY, THE EXTERIOR OF SAID COVERBEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL TRANSVERSELY DISPOSEDYIELDABLE PEAKS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ARRANGED ADJACENT ONE TO THE OTHER,AND EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID COVER, THE SAID PEAKS DEFINING THEOUTER PERIPHERY OF THE ROLLER; AND ADHESIVE MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAIDBODY AND SAID COVER TO PROHIBIT SEPARATION THEREOF; SAID ROLLER BEINGSUPPORTED BY AND IN ROLLING CONTACT WITH A SUPPORT OF SOLID MATERIAL OFSUFFICIENT LINEAR EXTENT TO PERMIT SIGNIFICANT DISPLACEMENT OF THEROLLER BY A USER THEREOF; WHEREBY SAID ROLLER IS ADAPTED TO BE TREADEDUPON FOR FORWARD AND BACKWARD ROLLING MOTIONS PROVIDING A FIRM FOOTINGDURING OPERATION THEREOF, WITH SAID YIELDABLE PEAKS BEING ADAPTED TOPROVIDE TRACTION ON GRASS COVERED GROUND SURFACES.